Fruitfulness Under Fire

Apostle Paul penned the epistle to the church in Philippi while under arrest in Rome. While some churches forgot and forsook him, the church in Philippi provided a gift to Paul, to include sending a member of the congregation, Epaphroditus, to serve and assist Paul during his imprisonment. In his letter to the Philippian church, Paul offered his gratitude and reflected on the long-term impacts of his various trials. Paul concluded, “…the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel.”
 
Paul saw his imprisonment as an opportunity to preach the gospel to those who guarded him. His imprisonment emboldened others to be more courageous in their witnessing. Some preached the gospel in order to be the center of attention during Paul’s imprisonment, others preached out of love and goodwill for the sake of the gospel. Either way, Paul recognized the gospel was being advanced as a result of his imprisonment.
 
In his meditation, “The Seed of the Jack Pine” from “Meditations of the Heart,” the great 20th century preacher, Howard Thurman tells of the jack pine tree, found in British Columbia, Canada. The cone of the jack pine contains a seed which lies dormant until subjected to heat. The jack pine grows most abundantly after a forest fire, when the cones have been subjected to “sustained and concentrated heat.” Without the trauma of the forest fire, the jack pine would be less vibrant, less plentiful.
 
It can be challenging to stand firm in your faith in the midst of difficult times. Perhaps it seems impossible to visualize how your personal sufferings— sickness, bereavement, broken or unfulfilled relationships, financial difficulty, personal struggles and more—can be opportunities for the gospel message to be advanced. But they are, when we take Paul’s approach and recognize how every trial is a prepared moment to share the gospel message. Your labor through the fires of tribulation are not designed to harm you, but position you to witness to the one who carries you through the fire.